Leather-sole-softening machine



1. L. CLEVENGER. LEATHER SOLE SOFTENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HI .ED 1U LY 19, 1921- Patented July 18, 1922;

FFEQEG JAMES LEW'IS CLEVENGER, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

LEATHER-SOLESOFTENING MACHINE.

Application filed July 19, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns Lnwrs CLEVEN- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Bartholomew and the State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Leather-Sole-Softening l'vilachine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new labor-saving machine for softening sole leather in which the leather is conveyed between two belts passing over rollers of diminishing diameters; and the objects of my machine are, first, to soften the leather to a more perfect flexibility than obtained by any other process; second, to avoid all cracking, cinching, buckling, soiling, or marking of the leather, or the turning of the edges; third, to dispense with the use of any softening solutions; fourth, to increase the speed of the softening process.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section or side view.

1 and 2 are six inch (6) endless canvas belts kept at the proper tension by compensating idlers 8 and it. 5 and 6 are twelve inch (12) pulleys with six inch (6) face each mounted on the same shaft with a fourteen inch (14) gear. The engaging of these gears 19 and 20 draw the belts through the rollers at a uniform speed.

7 is a six inch (6) pulley with six inch (6) face, the return pulley for belt 2, spaced at such a distance from roller 8 as to expose a proper amount of belt 2 for feed Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 485,821.

surface. Brass rollers 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, let, 15, 16, 17, and 18 have six inch (6) faces and diameters respectively as follows; 3%, 3/! 231/, 2%!j 2&1! 2/!a 131/7 1712/! 115/! lgtlf, and 1:1 These rollers are spaced two inches (2) apart from face to face, and are mounted in ball bearings. Roller 8 serves as the return pulley for belt 1.

As belts 1 and 2 pass roller 8 they come in contact, thus forming a positive conveyor for the leather as they pass over and under each successive pulley. The leather is so firmly held between these belts that it is bent and straightened as it is drawn through the rollers without the possibility of buckling or being defaced.

These parts are to be mounted in a sectional frame to allow the belts to be inserted with the least amount of inconvenience, and placed at a suitable height for operation.

The machine may be driven by connecting either shaft 21 or 22 to a line shaft or to an individual motor as indicated on drawing.

I reserve the right to increase or decrease the number and diameters of rollers and the width of belts, rollers, and pulleys.

I claim:

A machine for softening leather comprismg a series of rollers of progressively diminishing diameters and two conveyor belts which pass over the top and bottom of the rollers in alternation, whereby a leather article held between said belts and passing successively by the rollers is given gradually increasing angles of fiexure. Y

JAMES LEXVIS CLEVENGER.

Patented July 18, 1922. 

